Whether you gave birth this year or a decade ago makes no difference to us. We know that pregnancy and childbirth are absolute game-changers to a woman’s body, mind, and soul. And, each and every one of us handle the entire experience in our own unique and individual way.
That’s exactly why some women bounce back to their pre-baby body in no time flat and others face changes that make it nearly impossible to be that person again. This is not good or bad – this is just the way motherhood is.
Throw in the development of autoimmune illness or newly formed food sensitivities and the path to health and well being becomes all the more muddled. But don’t you worry mama, Whole Woman Health (and our postpartum specialist Coach Leslie) are here to help.
We think that instead of bouncing back, we need to change the narrative about our bodies, minds, and spirits postpartum to view things in an entirely new way. We all want to look and feel our best, but that is not necessarily the same thing as going back to what you were before. It’s about finding a future you that is just right for where you are now.
Everything has changed, forever. Nothing will ever be the same. But together, we can navigate the path to a future you that feels and looks her absolute best. But first of all, let’s have a quick dish on how we got here in the first place.
We Prep Our Bodies for Pregnancy and Childbirth
When a woman becomes pregnant, she is absolutely showered with information about what to expect in her body. There are entire series of books dedicated to all the changes she will see week and week and month after month throughout the entire pregnancy.
As the baby grows, she starts moving her focus to giving birth. Women come out of the woodworks to share their stories, horrific or idyllic in turns, and the mother to be tries to come to grips with the potential for her lady bits to be irrevocably changed and the prospect of living in mesh panties for a month or so. Fine. She’s got this.
But what about what happens next?
We Don’t Prep for Our Postpartum Bodies
Always the caretaker, mamas spend all of their time and energy making sure they do everything they need to do to take care of their bodies for the health of their baby. They don’t put much emphasis on what will happen to their bodies after the baby is delivered healthily.
And if they do have some ideas (droopy boobs and stretched out vaginas, anyone) they are highly influenced by misinformation and the media. And we think it’s high time that nonsense comes to a hard stop.
Forget Going Back. It’s Time to Go Forward.
Here’s some honest talk. Your body is changed forever and the causes are entirely out of your control. You did not get to choose how your body handled your pregnancy. You did not get to hand-select a delivery experience. You also don’t get to simply bounce back because that person and that body are not ever going to be the same.
And that is okay! In fact, it’s great. Because you get the opportunity to learn about this new body and make it your own, for now, and forever. It’s time to put the shame, blame, and guilt behind us and forge a new path for ourselves that reflects the woman and mom we are today and who we want to be moving forward.
Tips for Moving Towards a New Postpartum You
After you fully embrace the fact that you need to push forward, not bounce back, we have a few tips that can put you on the right path. It goes without saying that each of us is unique and will have our own journey. But if you keep these tips in mind, you can have a smoother transition.
- Count Everything, and we DON’T Mean Calories: Life with a baby is wildly busy. You may not be sure how changing 7 diapers a day and busting a bottle or boob out on the regular can make the hands of time move so quickly, but it’s a little like living in a time warp. If you have 3 minutes to do some squats, it counts! If you snag a little sleep while your bundle of joy is napping, it counts! If you close your eyes and sit still and just take deep breaths for 30 small, but meaningful seconds…you guessed it, it counts! Count everything. Every choice you make, every bite you eat, every action you take counts. Don’t sell yourself short.
- Adjust Your Expectations: From the time you were a wee girl dreaming of your prince charming and your white wedding, you have been bombarded with images and stories that paint a false picture of what pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood look like. Everyone remembers the headlines about the Victoria’s Secret model who got back to her pre-baby weight and hit the runway in a slinky nothing mere weeks after giving birth. That may have actually happened, at great expense to mother and baby, but it’s not a realistic expectation. Don’t think you are going back to what you were. Expect that there will be a new, healthy, glowing, beautiful version of you.
- Listen to Yourself, not to the Noise: There is a seemingly endless supply of advice from well-meaning women and profit-seeking media outlets all aimed at telling you what your body can and can’t do. Tune those people and publications completely out. Turn down the volume on the noise and tune into yourself. Your body knows what it needs and your body knows what it can do. If you feel super energized, leverage that in your workout. If you are exhausted, skip it and sleep instead. Listen to yourself, not to the noise.
Ready to Bounce Back Move Forward in 2022? Check out the SHED.
The SHED is a weight loss program for those who are ready to commit and are interested in long-term results. The SHED community is supportive, magnanimous, and inspiring. We KNOW that The SHED is going to get you serious results. That’s why we back it up with a money-back guarantee. You lose 10 pounds, 10 inches, or you get your money back. Period.
Want to see if The SHED is right for you? That’s great! Book a discovery call with Coach Rachel today. It’s no cost and no obligation. (of course!) It’s just a conversation to see if the SHED is a good fit for the future you.
The SHED begins in early February, so don’t wait! Enroll ASAP. Your future self will thank you.